


so watch the flames burn

by BansheeLydia



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Consensual Underage Sex, F/F, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Misunderstandings, Sexual Content, Smut, as cora is seventeen, background Stiles/Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 18:08:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3701601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BansheeLydia/pseuds/BansheeLydia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I want to have sex with you.”</p>
<p>Cora’s mouth presses into a firm line as soon as the words escape and she can feel her cheeks grow hot.  Embarrassment, thick and heavy, crawls through her, clogs up her throat.</p>
<p>Lydia, on the other hand, just purses her lips slightly to disguise a smile, arches an eyebrow. “Well, personally, I was thinking about having the cheesecake for dessert. I didn’t realize your option was on the menu.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	so watch the flames burn

**Author's Note:**

> a couple of notes first:
> 
> Malia isn't in this story (I just couldn't fit her in, which I'm sad about). 
> 
> I've tagged this as underage as Lydia is 18 and Cora is 17; however it's consensual.
> 
> There's some awkward sex and sexual health concerns in this which will be discussed at the end.
> 
> There is unsafe sex in this. 
> 
> This is also unedited because I'm trash, so I apologise for any mistakes.

“I want to have sex with you.”

Cora’s mouth presses into a firm line as soon as the words escape and she can feel her cheeks grow hot. Embarrassment, thick and heavy, crawls through her, clogs up her throat.

Lydia, on the other hand, just purses her lips slightly to disguise a smile, arches an eyebrow. “Well, personally, I was thinking about having the cheesecake for dessert. I didn’t realize your option was on the menu.”

Cora wants to bang her head against the table. She slouches slightly in her seat, hiding slightly behind her own menu. 

She feels a hand on her own suddenly, the touch feather light and gentle. “Cora.”

She dares peek over the top of her menu, meeting Lydia’s gaze. Her expression is softer, her smile fond. Cora flips her hand over to link their fingers together and Lydia’s smile grows, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

“It’s okay, really,” Lydia assures her. She doesn’t remove her gaze from Cora’s and it’s intense, _intimate_ , but not unwelcome and the brunette can feel a shiver graze down her spine.

“I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s not the worst way I’ve been propositioned,” Lydia offers, gently playing with Cora’s fingers and it’s probably one of the most innocent touches ever and they’re in the middle of a crowded restaurant, yet she feels the touch all over, making her feel shaky all the way down to her toes. “It was cute, actually.”

“Cute,” Cora mutters, trying to keep the scowl off her face.

“Sweetheart,” Lydia says gently and the endearment has Cora’s gaze flying back to the redhead’s face. It’s not spoken with the usual vitriol or exasperation; it’s soft, fond. 

“I just...” Cora looks down at their intertwined hands. “We’ve been on three dates, you know? That’s generally the rule.”

She instantly regrets the words. They’re so _childish_. She already feels awkward about the age gap between them; it’s not a huge gap, Lydia’s eighteen and Cora’s just turned seventeen, but next September Lydia will be halfway across the country at college and Cora feels so young, so inexperienced.

But Lydia doesn’t laugh or roll her eyes; her gaze is kind and she brushes her thumb over Cora’s knuckles in a gentle, repetitive sweeping motion, soothing her.

“That rule is ridiculous,” she replies gently. “It’s something that I think either censors people and shames them for something as enjoyable as sex, or makes people feel forced to have it when they’re not ready because it’s the _rule_.”

Cora opens her mouth, feeling so stupid, and she thinks this is even more awkward than their first date, where she’d felt horribly underdressed and she’d spilled melted cheese down her top and she’s still pretty sure she’d somehow insulted Lydia, though the banshee hadn’t said anything about it (although, it was also the date where the waiter had flirted with her and Lydia’s cool smile and sharp remarks to him were terrifying and yet _ridiculously hot_ ). 

Lydia, though, continues before Cora can stutter out some kind of defense or apology. 

“If you’re ready, that’s great. It doesn’t matter if it’s after the first date or the hundredth. And if you’re not, that’s great too; it’s all about when _you’re_ ready and what’s best for you. Sex is something that should happen when both parties are ready, not after the third date, or any stipulation like that, okay?”

Cora nods, relaxing a little. “I’m ready,” she says honestly. She’s been ready for _months_ , since the first time Lydia helped her with homework and Cora realized that, yes, she’s definitely into girls and, yes, she’s definitely into _Lydia_. 

Lydia smiles, nods. “If you’re sure.”

“I am,” she says firmly. “Are you?” Because now she thinks about it, that’s not something she’d considered, so nervous about bringing it up in the first place and thinking about how it’ll happen when it happens, whether she’ll be good at it or not. Lydia’s not a virgin, she knows that, but maybe she’s not ready for sex with _her_.

“Sweetheart,” Lydia tilts her head just slightly, a smirk playing on her lips. “I’ve been ready since you pinned me against my locker and kissed me.”

Cora feels a thrill of warmth and anticipation. She’s pretty sure she’s already half in love with the girl in front of her. Lydia’s like fire and danger; she’s literally a harbinger of death and Cora’s life has always been full of roaring flames and losing the people she cares about. Lydia used to terrify her, the idea that her scream could mean so much darkness, but...Lydia’s not just as a banshee, just as Cora isn’t just a werewolf, with sharp claws and a lethal bite. She’s _brilliant_ ; crazy intelligent and sharp and wicked with her words, but so soft and caring and loyal. 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Cora asks and this time there’s no anxiety or embarrassment accompanying the words. 

Lydia smiles wider, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I am really craving that cheesecake,” she laughs.

Cora grins and orders them both a glass of water and they agree on the chocolate cheesecake to split. 

 

\---

 

“Are you okay?”

Cora glances over at Lydia, wetting her lips. She’s nervous, she can admit that, and excited, stomach fluttering with anticipation. The thrill of what’s going to happen already has her turned on. She’s just worried about not knowing what to do when it gets down to it.

Cora loves Lydia’s room. It’s large and pretty and full of lots of little personal touches that just scream ‘Lydia’, from the photographs on her desk to the pink curtains and teddy bear on the bed. Cora’s own bedroom is a small storage room in Derek’s loft, with a bed, a wardrobe and a desk; no personal touches, just what she needs, stuff she can leave behind and just the basics she’ll need if she has to up and run at any point. It’s what she’s used to, constantly moving, constantly running, never staying to _gain_ any personal touches. In fact, having her own room is better than what she’s had in the past and she’s grateful, but being in Lydia’s room...it always makes her want more. Makes her want to have a reason to settle and stay.

Lydia cups Cora’s cheek, stepping close. “We don’t have to,” she reminds her.

This close, Cora can see the green in Lydia’s eyes, can see the slight, pale freckles on her skin, each individual eyelash and the plumpness of her lips. “I want to,” she replies.

Lydia smiles and leans closer, sliding their lips together. The kiss is just as electric as their first and Cora grips Lydia’s hips, tugs them closer together and kisses her properly, hot and deep and slow.

“Do you want music?” Lydia asks when she pulls back, licking her lips.

Cora can still taste the sweetness of her lipgloss when she sucks on her own lip, slightly swollen from their kiss. “Your mom...?

“Isn’t in,” Lydia replies. 

She relaxes at that. There’s no way she was taking Lydia back to hers; she knows Derek would probably be in and with his werewolf hearing, there’s no way they’d be able to hide what they’re doing. There are some things she really doesn’t need her brother knowing. But the idea of Lydia’s mom catching them is just as awkward, so she’s glad they have the place to themselves.

“No music,” she decides. There’s no way she’s losing her virginity to some awkward pop track.

Lydia smiles and kicks off her boots. Without the heels, she’s a lot shorter, and Cora can’t help but smirk when the redhead has to stretch up on tiptoes to kiss her.

“Shut up,” Lydia grins, nipping at her lower lip.

Cora’s breath catches. “How long do we have?”

Lydia slowly looks down at her lips, then trails her gaze lower over Cora’s body, slow and deliberate and Cora’s body practically _ignites_ under the heated look, the arousal that’s been simmering inside burning hotter, more urgent. 

When Lydia’s gaze catches her own again, she smirks. “All night,” she finally answers.

Cora swallows audibly and she’s suddenly very done with passively letting Lydia take control. She cups the shorter girl’s face, framing her jaw gently with long fingers and kisses her, hard and urgent. 

Lydia makes a surprise but eager sound, hands gripping at Cora’s jacket, pushing insistently as she kisses Cora back, any nerves or chasteness forgotten as she licks into her mouth.

“Off,” she demands and Cora smirks, steps back to remove her jacket and toss it aside.

Lydia raises an eyebrow in response and then lets her fingers curl around the edge of her top, slowly tugging it up, then off, back arching elegantly as she does so. She lets it fall to the floor, red hair wild around her shoulders. She’s wearing a soft pink and black lacy bra that shows off the curve of her breasts and Cora’s lips part slightly.

Lydia tilts her head, eyebrow arched, and her expression just screams _I dare you_. 

“You drive me crazy, you know that?” 

Lydia just smirks and unzips her skirt, letting it pool around her feet. “Prove it.”

A rumble escapes Cora before she can hold it back and she closes the distance between them. Lydia goes in for a kiss but Cora’s hands find her thighs instead, lifting her up. The banshee yelps in surprise and wraps her legs around the brunette’s waist and her arms around her neck, holding on.

Cora kisses her hard, holding her up easily, one hand curving around Lydia’s ass as she walks towards the bed.

“I really fucking love werewolves,” Lydia mutters.

Cora grins, pressing her back on the bed and hovering over her, kissing her slow and deep before pulling back. She strips, quickly. She’s never really been embarrassed or ashamed by her body. She knows, objectively, that she’s attractive, but in the past, her body has always been a weapon, a defence. Nakedness has never really affected her. 

So it doesn’t really hit her until Lydia pauses, gaze slowly taking in her body, clad now in just a simple bra and panties, that this is really happening.

She leans close, drawing Lydia’s gaze back to hers. “Like what you see?”

“I’d like it better if you were writhing on my fingers.”

Cora’s mouth drops open. Lydia’s bold, she knows that, but the filthy words were definitely not what she expected, but _so fucking hot_. She presses her thighs together, arousal throbbing between them, and Lydia grins. She takes advantage of Cora’s surprise, pressing a hand to her stomach and rolling them until she’s straddling the younger girl’s narrow hips. 

“Off,” she decides, stroking a fingertip over the strap of Cora’s bra, and the werewolf quickly sits up slightly, helping her remove it and throw it aside.

Lydia trails her fingertips over the curve of one breast and Cora’s breath catches. She watches Lydia, unable to drag her gaze away, completely captivated as the older girl’s fingertips trace a path down her stomach. 

“You said we had all night,” she says after a moment, her voice a touch breathless, “I didn’t think you meant you’re gonna _take_ all night.”

Lydia’s eyes narrow and she repositions herself before leaning down, catching a nipple between her lips. Pleasure trembles through Cora and she moans, loud, before catching her lower lip between her teeth. Lydia smirks at the response and takes her time, learning Cora’s breasts and nipples with fingertips, lips and tongue, until Cora’s pressing her thighs together, hard, desperate for some kind of attention to where she wants it most.

Lydia finally moves down, kissing a path down Cora’s stomach. She squirms slightly when she feels Lydia’s lips brush over her hips, breath coming a little faster. 

“Lydia, come _on_.”

Lydia moves down further, skimming her nose over the thin material of Cora’s panties, and she releases an embarrassing sound, legs parting immediately. She leans her head back, closing her eyes and trying to control her breathing as Lydia slowly tugs her panties down, fingertips sliding teasingly over the bare skin of her legs as she pulls them down, dropping them to the floor beside the bed.

The first sensation of Lydia’s breath against her has Cora trembling, mouth suddenly dry, and then she’s making a loud, breathless sound as Lydia’s tongue finally touches where Cora wants her most.

She’s lost in sensation after that, legs spread wide, heels pressed hard against the mattress and hands curling in Lydia’s hair, unable to hold her hips still as Lydia drives her crazy.

“I’m gonna -,” she moans, loud and long, “Lydia, _please_.”

Lydia’s eyes flick up, catching her gaze, just as she sucks her clit and Cora spirals, giving a soft cry as she comes, breathless and intense. Lydia only pulls away when Cora falls back on the bed, sated and sensitive, and she tries to catch her breath as Lydia slides back up, pressing their bodies together and kissing her. She can taste herself on Lydia’s tongue and it’s hotter than she’d thought it’d be. 

“Good?” Lydia asks softly, pressing kisses over Cora’s jaw. 

Cora tips her head to catch Lydia’s mouth in a kiss. “Fucking amazing,” she replies.

Lydia smiles and kisses her again. Cora wraps an arm around her waist, rolling them, and slides her hand down. Lydia shivers beneath her so she figures she’s doing the right thing, that she’s not going too fast, and she smiles, nipping at Lydia’s neck as her fingers dip under her panties.

She can hear Lydia’s heart pounding, can smell how turned on she is, but she’s not really wet. Cora pauses, long enough for Lydia to notice and tug her into a deep kiss. 

“Are you...?” Cora starts when Lydia pulls away.

“Yeah,” she breathes, pressing her hips up. “Come on.”

Cora looks down at her for a moment, then presses a quick kiss to her lips. She shimmies her way down, sliding Lydia’s panties off, and kisses the inside of her thigh, taking in the scent. She smells so fucking gorgeous. At Lydia’s soft sound of encouragement, she slowly runs her tongue over Lydia’s slit. She closes her eyes, going with what feels right, teasing her, getting her nice and wet before devoting her attention to her clit.

Lydia’s getting loud above her, hips giving little aborted movements, thighs trembling around Cora’s head, so she gets a little braver, easing a finger inside. Lydia’s tight and she goes a little still, so she removes it again, pulling away slightly. 

“Don’t stop,” Lydia breathes, tugging slightly on Cora’s hair, enough to make her moan.

Cora closes her eyes, teasing her clit again, and Lydia’s suddenly making very loud, very high pitched sounds, thighs tightening around her head and hands tugging insistently at her hair as she gives a cry. She relaxes, slumps back on the bed, pants for breath, and Cora slowly pulls back, looking at her.

She faked it.

She just _faked_ it.

Cora feels...hurt. Not just hurt, but suddenly very embarrassed. She feels young and inexperienced, so bad at this that Lydia’s had to _fake_ her orgasm. She can feel her cheeks grow hot, this horrible feeling clawing its way out of her chest, up her throat and into her mouth, but she keeps her lips firmly closed, not letting her feelings get control of her words.

Lydia offers her a smile, holds her hands out until Cora takes them and cuddles up. She’s never been much of a snuggler, but Lydia’s body fits so well against her own, soft and warm, her scent calming Cora’s wolf.

But she can’t relax. Even when Lydia drifts asleep, her heartbeat and breathing even, she can’t just let it go and sleep too. It’s weighing on her mind and she feels horrible. She doesn’t know what to do. She just feels humiliated.

Eventually, she climbs out of bed, looks over the clothes scattered across the floor and manages to find her own, getting dressed. She heads to the door, glances back at Lydia, curled up on the bed, face soft and relaxed in slumber, and then closes the door, slipping out of the house quietly.

 

\---

 

“Are you okay?”

Cora looks up when she sees Stiles walk into the kitchen, barefoot in his boxers and one of Derek’s shirts.

“Oh, gross,” she glares. “I wasn’t even meant to be out late last night!”

Stiles offers a sheepish look, scratching at the bite on his neck. “We figured you probably would be.” He sits, wincing slightly, and Cora wants to drown herself in her bowl of cereal.

“Anyway,” he says. “What’s up?”

She scowls down at her cereal, taking a sip of orange juice. “Why would something be up?”

“Because we heard you come in at two,” Stiles replies, “And you kind of look like you’re about to strangle your juice.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Come on,” he insists softly. “You can talk to me. I’m your pal.”

“You’re doing disgusting things with my brother. That in no way makes you my pal.”

He feigns a hurt expression. “But if I marry Derek someday, I’d be your brother. That kinda makes us family. We’re tighter than pals.”

That makes her pause, sour mood forgotten for a second. “Are you gonna marry him?”

He blinks a couple of times, caught out, and clears his throat, shrugging. The tips of his ears have gone a little pink. “Well, I mean. _Someday_. I wouldn’t say no.”

She feels a flutter of warmth at that. Stiles isn’t the kind of person she ever saw Derek being with, let alone marrying, but they do work well together and he does make her brother ridiculously, sickeningly happy. The idea that Stiles is as committed as she knows her brother is makes her feel happy. 

“You can talk to me,” Stiles offers. “I give Scott advice all the time.”

“Didn’t he and Allison break up _again_ last week?” 

“A-ha!” he points a finger at her, smug. “So it’s romantic advice, huh?”

“ _Stiles_ ,” she snaps. 

“Cora.”

“Fine,” she folds her arms, scowling down at the table. “Lydia and me...you know. And it was great, really great, but when I...she faked it.”

Derek, who’d just stepped into the room, calmly turns back around and walks out, closing the door firmly behind him. Stiles snickers before looking back at Cora.

“Okay,” he concedes. “Maybe I’m not the best person to talk to about this.”

She raises her eyebrows at him. “ _Stiles_.”

“I don’t think Lydia would be happy with me discussing her sex life with you,” he replies. “Plus, romance, sure, I can give you the best damn advice you’re ever gonna get. Sex...well. My experience is more to do with dicks, you know?” He gets a goofy smile on his face as he says it and Cora knows just whose dick he’s thinking about.

“I really fucking hate you, you know that?” 

He waves a hand. “You don’t,” he replies easily. “But seriously. I think the best thing you can do is talk to her about it, you know? Talking to other people, it never goes well. It’ll just get muddled with outside opinions and end up worse.” 

She looks at him for a moment, considering. “That was actually kinda smart.”

“It happens sometimes.” He stands, reaching out to ruffle her hair, but thinks better of it when she looks ready to bite his fingers off. “Good talk.” 

He leaves the kitchen and she can hear him tackle Derek in the living room. There’s laughter, followed by kissing, and she makes a frustrated sound, pushing her chair back, grabbing her bag and fleeing the loft. 

 

\---

 

She spends Saturday wandering around town.

Normally, she spends the morning watching dumb cartoons with Derek (it was one of the first things they re-bonded over after the clusterfuck of everything with the alpha pack; their love for stupid kid’s cartoons and sugary cereal), but he’s...busy with Stiles. And in the afternoon, she spends hours at Lydia’s house, studying. 

Lydia’s got senior finals coming up, needs to study hard, yet she always finds the time to help and tutor Cora. She helps her with homework and when she catches up with that, helps tutor her in what she needs, like math and writing skills.

Spending most of her childhood and teenage years in South America, spending each day just focusing on surviving...it didn’t exactly leave room for learning. She hadn’t gone to school and she’d tried once or twice to homeschool herself, but when the pack was constantly moving on, fleeing danger and just trying to stay alive from day to day...she’d given up.

She’s not stupid. She can read, she can write, she can speak three languages. She’s picked up on things, she knows basic math, but beyond that, there are so many gaps in her knowledge. After Derek registered her with the high school, she’d been held back to try and fill those gaps. She’s caught up, fast, she’s worked hard and Lydia’s helped...but it doesn’t change the fact that in September, the banshee will be going away to college and instead of being in senior year like she should be, Cora will be starting junior year. 

The first time she’d expressed those kinds of feelings, Lydia had stopped, highlighter cap between her lips, and tilted her head slightly and it’d been so fucking adorable that Cora took a moment to realize Lydia looked _annoyed_.

“You’re amazingly smart,” she’d said, tone fierce.

Cora had snorted, glaring down at the sheet of math problems in front of her. They weren’t even sophomore grade; she knew for a fact they were something a freshman could solve in, like, five seconds. And she was struggling on the first one.

“Cora,” Lydia had insisted. “You’re brilliant. You fled from a burning house at just a kid and made your way, _alone_ , to South America. You found a place where you’d be safe and you spent years surviving. You know how to plan, you know how to stay alive and outsmart people. You’re resilient. You have the kind of smarts a lot of people don’t have. And academically? I know you’ll catch up. Because you’re intelligent, Cora. And ridiculously stubborn.”

It was the first time Cora thought she might actually be able to keep up with Lydia. 

Sunday, Derek and Stiles actually leave the loft, and she stays in her pajamas all day, eating her body weight in sugary cereal and Pop Tarts and watching dumb movies. 

Derek comes home alone in the evening. He’s practically _skipping_ and it’s hideous and she’s stupidly happy for her brother. He pauses when he sees her, his face doing a complicated thing when he takes in the three empty boxes of cereal on the table.

“I’ll clean it up, okay?” she mutters.

“No, I...” he hesitates for a second, then rests a hand on her shoulder. It’s small, but it’s comfort and it kinda feels like a hug and she leans into it, her brother, her pack. “Yeah, clean it up,” he finally sighs.

She looks up and she knows that’s Derek Speak for _I’m sorry_. She offers a shrug in response and they leave it at that, Derek heading upstairs to work on a college assignment.

She does clean up and shuts off the TV, heading into her bedroom. She feels gross, full of cereal and unshowered, and she eventually falls asleep.

 

\---

 

It’s Stiles who drops her off Monday morning.

Derek always gets up obnoxiously early, clattering around and making coffee before going for a run, and it inevitably wakes her, too. But she thinks she might get away with not going to school, since Derek usually just showers and heads straight to class.

But she doesn’t factor Stilinski into it. He knocks on the door for a full five minutes until she opens and he raises an eyebrow, shoves clothes towards her and tells her to shower. There’s no way he’s going to let her miss school and she knows Derek’s put him up to this. She resolves to throw out Derek’s favorite cereal later and resigns herself to the fact Stiles isn’t going to quit annoying her until she gives in. She showers, dresses, and sits mulishly in the passenger seat as Stiles chatters away, disregarding pretty much every traffic law in the book in order to get them to school before first bell.

“Seriously,” she snaps as she climbs out of the jeep, grabbing her backpack. “Your dad is a cop.”

“Exactly,” he replies cheerfully. “I know where all the speed traps and traffic cops are.”

She shakes her head, pausing when she sees Lydia headed towards them. Nerves twist her stomach but she holds her chin up, ready to talk this out – 

Except Lydia continues going, straight past them and up the steps into the building. Cora watches her go, mouth open slightly in surprise before she swallows, hurt and confused.

Stiles looks at her carefully. “Did you speak to her over the weekend?”

She fidgets with the strap of her bag. “I was waiting until we were in school.” He stares at her, incredulous, until she snaps, “ _What_?”

“You and your brother are so alike sometimes it’s painful,” he replies. “Your dating skills _suck_.”

“Fuck you.”

He just grins, clapping a hand on her shoulder. “But, lucky for you, you’re just as cute and cuddly on the inside as your brother. So I’m sure you can fix this.”

“I haven’t done anything!”

He lifts his hand up, tilting it from side to side. “ _Well_...”

She shoves his shoulder and heads to class, ignoring his laughter. 

She doesn’t see Lydia again until lunch. She’s not at the usual table in the cafeteria, instead sat outside in the sun with Allison, working on an assignment. Cora takes a deep breath and heads over, waiting until Lydia looks up before offering a smile.

“Hey?”

Lydia arches an eyebrow. “Hello?” her tone is cool and Cora feels kinda small, unsure what to say.

“Look...”

“Oh, I’m sorry, are we speaking now?” 

Cora blinks a couple of times, caught off guard. “I...I’m sorry. I needed some space.”

It’s obviously the wrong thing to say because Lydia’s expression shuts off further. She gathers her books haphazardly and stands. “Well, congratulations, now you have all the space you need.”

“Wait, what?” Cora steps forward. “Lydia, that’s not...” _what I’m saying_ , except Lydia’s already walking away, red hair bouncing on her shoulders.

Allison glances up at her, quiet. After a moment, she offers a small smile. “She likes Crunch bars and carnations,” she says before following her best friend.

Cora stands there for a long time, completely thrown off guard. _What_. 

 

\---

 

She does take Allison’s advice, though.

She’s confused and unsure, but she knows this much: she loves Lydia. And she wants to sort this out. She doesn’t want to lose her through some big misunderstanding. So she heads home after school and makes coffee, handing Derek some in his favorite mug with a turkey sandwich, and Derek pauses, narrows his eyes at her.

“What do you want?”

“Well,” she offers her best hopeful smile. “I’m kind of...low on money. And Lydia...”

He doesn’t wait to hear the rest, just wordlessly tugs a couple of bills out of his wallet and passes them over. She thanks him with a quick hug (and is incredibly grateful for Stiles’ influence on her brother) and grabs her bag, heading out.

She stops by the store on the way to Lydia’s and knocks on the door. She’s not nervous. Worried, a little, but she’s determined to fix this, make it right. 

Mrs Martin opens the door, a small smile playing on her lips when she sees who it is. “Hello, Cora.”

“Hi, Mrs Martin. Is...?”

“Lydia!” Mrs Martin calls. “Door!”

She takes in the bundle in Cora’s hands and gives an approving nod before heading into the kitchen. Lydia appears in the doorway a moment later.

“Hi,” Cora offers.

“Hi,” Lydia echoes. She looks at her for a moment, and then looks at the bouquet carnations and pack of Crunch bars Cora’s holding. She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling slightly, like she can’t help it, and she steps back so Cora can come in. “Stiles?”

Cora shakes her head. “Allison.”

Lydia looks a little surprised at that. She takes the gifts and Cora watches as she trims the stems of the flowers, arranging them artfully in a vase of water, and puts the chocolate in the fridge.

“Come on,” she holds her hand out.

Cora feels relieved as she takes Lydia’s hand, holding on tightly as the banshee leads her up to her bedroom, closing the door behind them. She sits down on her bed and after a moment of hesitation, Cora sits down next to her, leaving a slither of space between them.

“I’m sorry,” she says after a moment. “I should have called or text or something. I just...was hurt and needed some space to try and work things out.”

“I didn’t understand,” Lydia replies and her voice is soft, a little vulnerable. It’s so rare Cora sees her like this. “It was amazing. It went so well and then...I woke up and you were gone. You didn’t stay the night, you didn’t even say goodbye, just...snuck out while I was asleep. And then you didn’t talk to me all weekend. Did I do something wrong? Was it too soon?”

“ _No_ ,” Cora says immediately. “I just...” she blows out a sharp breath. “You faked it.”

Lydia goes quiet, cheeks going a little red as she looks away. “I...”

“It _was_ going great. And I thought you were enjoying it, but...”

“I _was_ ,” Lydia insists immediately. 

And that’s why Cora’s so confused. She’d been able to tell that Lydia was into it, she was turned on and enjoying it, yet...she’d faked her orgasm. 

“Lydia, I’ve never done this before. I mean, in Peru, I never exactly had chance for sex, you know that. I was trying and if it wasn’t good, if I wasn’t doing it right, you could have just said,” she says. “Faking it...it hurt, okay? I was humiliated.”

Lydia reaches out, takes her hand. “I’m sorry,” she says softly. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. I wanted to make you feel good.”

Cora looks down. “You weren’t even...you know. Wet.”

The redhead takes a deep breath. “I...have a problem. I’ve tried to find ways to fix it or – or make it easier, but aside from looking on the Internet, there’s not exactly places to go for help, you know? Not around here.” She pauses before murmuring, “I don’t really...self lubricate very well.”

Cora looks up, surprised. That’s the last thing she expected. “What?”

Lydia looks frustrated and...and _embarrassed_. “I never have. My first time was when I was fifteen and it wasn’t good, at all. I was too dry and it hurt and it was really uncomfortable. I thought it was just because it was my first time and it would get better, but it didn’t. I do get wet, but only a little, and it takes a whole...and sometimes I can’t at all. And I’m turned on, I really am, but I just don’t...self lubricate very well. I thought there was something wrong with me, that I’m wired wrong.”

“You’re not,” Cora says quickly, honestly.

She offers her a small smile. “I know that now, but it’s still...embarrassing. Normally, I just use lubricant when I’m having sex, and it makes it a lot better. With Jackson, we had to use lube every time. It felt good, pleasurable, so I realized that, okay, so I can’t self lubricate, I can still have good sex.”

“But why fake your orgasm? Did you with Jackson?”

Lydia nods again. “Not every time, but...a lot of times. It’s...I take a while to come. It’s frustrating, okay? I’m turned on and I’m enjoying it, but it just takes me ages to reach that climax. I didn’t want you to feel you weren’t doing it right, so I...”

“Faked it.”

Lydia sighs. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

Cora’s quiet for a while, taking it all in. She knows Lydia’s telling the truth and she feels a little better. So it wasn’t that she was bad at sex. That’s good. But she can sense how humiliated Lydia is and she wants to help, so she turns, taking both of Lydia’s hands.

“Okay,” she says. “Me using my mouth, it helped, right?”

Lydia nods. 

“And if we ever use toys, anything like that, we can use lubricant,” Cora nods. “And I’m going to look into it, okay? Maybe there are some tricks to help you come faster. I want to help. But either way, I really don’t mind. So long as I know you’re enjoying it and want it as much as I do, I really don’t mind if it takes you a while to come. I just want to be with you.”

Lydia looks at her for a moment, then smiles, bright and gorgeous, and Cora’s heart thumps happily in her chest as they meet in the middle for a long, slow kiss.

(As it turns out, there’s quite a few tips online and Cora enjoys testing each one, spending hours finding out just what turns Lydia on the most).

**Author's Note:**

> As I mentioned, there's no safe sex in this story. However, this is just a story and please, please, remember that safe sex is really important, regardless of gender and sexual orientation. There are options for girls such as dental dams for oral sex and condoms when using toys. 
> 
> Also, as Lydia and Cora discusses, Lydia has some personal sexual health concerns. I based hers on some personal experiences and I've found that it's not an uncommon issue. But there's a lot of stigma about it being expected for people with vaginas to get wet if they're aroused, but self lubrication is different from person to person. If you're experiencing something similar, Lydia mentions some tips - such as using lube. There's also plenty of information and advice online. The same with reaching climax. If you need any help or advice on any of the issues in this story, feel free to message me, I'd be glad to help.
> 
> I'm currently accepting prompts, so if you have any questions, prompts or just want to say hello, you can find me on tumblr here: cllexxa.tumblr.com
> 
> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
